How do USC and Case Western compare for undergraduate research opportunities?

For a student whose top priority is getting into biomedical engineering research early and building close faculty relationships, Case Western Reserve is likely to provide the more accessible undergraduate experience. Its smaller undergraduate community, biomedical engineering department’s ties to both the School of Medicine and Cleveland Clinic, and research-centered campus culture can make it easier to identify labs and develop sustained mentorship. USC offers a larger overall research ecosystem and exceptional health-science resources, but students often need to be more proactive in navigating a bigger institution.

At Case Western Reserve, biomedical engineering students can connect with faculty working across engineering, medicine, University Hospitals, the Cleveland Clinic, and affiliated clinical settings. That proximity is especially useful for students interested in translational work such as medical devices, imaging, biomaterials, rehabilitation engineering, or tissue engineering. The university’s SOURCE office supports undergraduate research through advising, funding opportunities, and presentation venues, giving students a visible campus pathway from finding a mentor to sharing results.

USC’s major advantage is breadth. The Viterbi School of Engineering and Keck School of Medicine create opportunities in areas such as neural engineering, biomedical imaging, computational biology, and entrepreneurship-oriented medical technology, alongside research institutes and Los Angeles clinical partners. USC’s Undergraduate Research Associates Program and school-based summer research funding can help undergraduates enter labs, including students early in college.

For first-year access, neither school automatically places every student in a lab, and the practical outcome will depend on how early you contact faculty, how clearly your interests match a project, and whether a lab has capacity. Case Western’s smaller scale may mean more direct access to professors and graduate students. At USC, a student can find excellent mentors, but should expect a larger pool of peers pursuing the same high-profile labs and a more self-directed search process.